Round 9 Match Report Vs Strathfieldsaye
Feb 23rd & March 1st
1st XI @ Atkins Street North Bendigo
With cricket in Bendigo being given the rough end of the pineapple again when it comes to allocation of usage of the QEO, Sandhurst found themselves shifted to Atkins Street North Bendigo for a second time this season due to the AFL practice match occupying the QEO. Sandhurst regained Brock Fletcher who came in for Brad Fawcett who was unavailable. Although other recent results meant Sandhurst faced an almost impossible task to reach the finals, the side still held out hope that the outright result could be possible. Strathfieldsaye won the toss and batted on a deck that had a lot of life for the new ball bowlers but still offered value for shots to the batsmen with a quick outfield.
Whilst desperate for things to happen in a hurry, the Dragons were coming up against a side that had found some good form since Christmas particularly with the bat. Tim Robertson got the initial breakthrough getting the dangerous Steve Brown caught behind with the score on 28. His opening partner Rhys Crapper was struggling to survive and eventually got dismissed, bowled by Mark Keck with the toal on 40. Greg Lyon and Ben Devanny then formed a dangerous looking partnership before Kecky struck to have Lyon bowled in the 27th over with the score 3/83. Nathan O'Neill chimed in soon after to remove David Rosaia and the Jets were 4/100 in the 35th over.
Unfortunately instead of consdolidating, Strathfieldsaye launched a counter attack and managed to reel off 56 in the remaining 9 overs leading up to the tea break to sit at 4/156 off 44 overs at tea. In all Devanny & East added a valuable 73 run partnership before Tim Robertson got the break through to remove East caught by Joel Schneider at short cover, and when Tim Williams picked up Luke Millard caught by Westy soon after Sandhurst had Strathfieldsaye 6 for 184. Having made the most of a couple of lives, Ben Devanny nearing a century finally fell LBW to Kecky for 90 and the Jets were 7/206 in the 63rd.
Sandhurst were unable to wrap up the Strath tail as only Geoff Mclean was able to obtain the breakthrough getting Jake Smythe caught by Westy. An unbroken 60 run partnership in just 10 overs for the 9th wicket between Rainey & Nilon swung the momentum in favour of the Jets to close out the day. Whether it was overly aggressive or undisciplined bowling from Sandhurst, signs of a side deflated that finals were no longer possible or a sign of how quick the outfield was Strathfieldsaye's 8/295 had included 46 boundaries and a 6 in their innings. Mark Keck 3/50 and Tim Robertson a superb 2/46 off 24 overs were the pick of the bowlers.
With hope of finals this season all but gone, Sandhurst had only a victory over Strathfieldsaye to round out the season to play for and things got off to a poor start when Brock Fletcher fell for 0, with the score on 4. The Sandhurst batting order was re-jigged as Anthony West was elevated to bat at 3 and added 65 for the 2nd wicket before he fell for 37 with Sandhurst 2 for 69 in the 28th over. Nick Scullie had again displayed his appliacation with the bat and just when it looked as though Sandhurst would go to tea 2 down and launch a post tea assualt on the runs, he fell victim to Ben Devanny for 39 as Sandhurst made it to 3 for 94 from 43 overs.
The contrast was stark, Sandhurst were 70 runs behind at the half way stage in comparison to where the jets had been at the corresponding stage but with fire power still at the crease, and to come with the bat the win was still achievable. Tim Robertson (46) who had built a solid platform from which to launch was the 4th wicket to fall just short of his 50 with Sandhurst 4 for 145. Nath O'Neill who's solid form down the order throughout the season had earned him a promotion to number 5 got to 20 and a 56 run partnership with Tim Rob before he was bowled with the total on 153.
By this stage the run rate required had pushed up towards a run a ball and the pressure told when Schneider and Mark Holland (17) both being dismissed in the puirsuit of quick runs. Sandhurst last recgonised batsmen Kecky and Matt Pask added a promising 23, before Kecky fell with the total on 195 with 15 overs remaining and 100 runs required. Matt Pask gave everything to try and chase down the runs and supported by Geoff Mclean and Tim Williams pushed the score to 233 before he was the final man dismissed for a sparkling 44 from 41 balls in the 78th over.
In comparison to Sandhurst's bowlers Strathfieldsaye had conceeded just 22 boundaries and three sixes in their innings more than accounting for the 62 run result. Tim Robertson picked up his 2nd Man of the Match in 3 games with 2 for 46 and top scoring with 46. The loss means Sandhurst finished 6th in the final wash up 8 points and percentage short of a finals spot.
2nd XI @ Strathfieldsaye Sports Ground
Coming off a confidence boosting win to chase down in excess of 250 in the last game, but still with no chance of finals this season, Sandhurst faced their "Grand Final" against the 2nd placed Strathfieldsaye. The side's preparation was again interrupted losing leading wicket taker Matt Hall due to unavailability, who was replaced at the last minute by Coach Terry Scullie.
The 2nds had been far too inconsistent with the bat this season, but were given first use of a flat looking batting track after Trumpy won the toss. The sides two highest run scorers Trav Crouch and Dylan Gibson opened the innings. After a couple of initial scares, with Crouchy being dropped and Dylan losing his balance and falling to the ground stranded mid pitch only for a wayward throw to the keeper enabling Dylan enough time to regain his ground. Once set Crouchy and Dylan scored freely and pushed the Teams total beyond 50 in just the 14th over. Crouchy was doing the bulk of the scoring whilst Dylan was doing his part turning over the strike and keeping the scoreboard ticking over at the other end. Crouchy was first to bring up his half century as the pair pushed towards a 100 run partnership. That milestone was bought up just after drinks in the 31st over.
With the shine off the ball, Trav wasted no time, with a majestic passage beyond 50 towards three figures. Trav didnt allow time to get nervous in the 90s with his passage from 56 to the major milestone of a century consisting of 11 boundaries, a Three thast pulled up just short of the boundary (the only mistimed shot he played throughout that period) and 1 single in order to maintain strike at the end of an over. Crouchy's century was bought up in just 121 balls and contained 16 boundaries. Unfortunately Crouchy's inning was bought to an end just 2 balls later when he was caught at mid wicket for 100 with the total on 163 in the 42nd over. Dylan having bought up his half century and Clinton "Beefy" Botham saw us through to tea without further loss at 1/173 from 45 overs.
The platform had been laid, and Dylan having survived a tough period leading up to tea, had survived and now refreshed had the opportunity to go on and score a maiden century. Unfortunately instead of building on their brilliant start, the tea break again proved Sandhurst's undoing with Clinton Bothams wicket with the score on 178 sparking a mini collapse. Dylan Gibson's superb innings of 67 came to an end the following over without further addition, and when Trumpy fell soon after Sandhurst were 4 for 187 with 30 overs remaining.
Gav James (27) who had been a consistent performer with the bat in the middle order, again steadied the ship adding 43 for the 5th wicket with Bryden McFarlane (19) before both batsmen fell with the score on 230 in the 69th and 70th over. Trav Russell batting at 7 then made another handy contribution with the bat to keep the scoreboard moving along, and along with Terry Scullie pushed the score beyond 270 with 6 overs remaining. When Travy Ruissell fell chasing quick runs to be the 9th wicket down for 283 in the 81st over Sandhurst were in danger of failing to reach 300 after such a great start, but Craig Burn and Brock Gibson dug in at 10 and 11 to add a valuable 29 for the 10th wicket including a toweing 6 straight down the ground to "Chooka" as Sandhurst were eventually bowled out in the 85th over for 312 with Chooka's contribution 27 from just 17 balls including 3 boundaries and a 6.
Strathfieldsaye's lack of bowling options was highlighted by the fact that two bowlers skipper Brian Hansen and Brad Rohde had bowled unchanged from the tea break through to the close of play. Whilst any score of 300 plus will win you 90% of games, it was still disappointing to be bowled out inside 85 overs losing 9 for 139 in the final 40 overs after tea.
Sandhurst had the runs on the board, but Strathfieldsaye were 2nd on the ladder and had a long batting line up and a flat track to assist them in chasing down the runs. Early in-roads with the new ball would be crucial as the batting conditions meant Sandhurst would still have to bowl the opposition out in order to win the game. Craig Burn got the ball rolling with Trav Crouch taking a sharp catch in the slips to remove the dangerous Kristian Rogers with the score on 23. New ball partner Trumpy removed the other opener Scott Hobson with the toal on 31 in the 12th over. When Chooka struck a 2nd time with Trav Crouch taking an even better catch in slips Strathfieldsaye were 3 for 37 in the 15th over and The Dragons were well on top.
Instead of the Dragons being able to tighten their stranglehold on the match, The Jets launched a counter-attack and managed to reel off 59 in the next 10 overs to progress to 100 before Brent Yates was bowled by Brock Gibson. Matt Cameron & Brian Hansen who had been given a life in the slips before reaching double figures then pushed the score to 4/153 at tea from 38 overs requiring another 160 runs from 47 overs to win.
Where Sandhurst had lost their momentum the previous week following the tea break, the experienced Cameron and Hansen barely gave Sandhurst a chance in increasingly more batsman firendly conditions. Trumpy tried 8 bowling options, and all kinds of field settings in order to get the break through, but other than Matt Cameron offering a couple of easy chances that were spurned by a weary Sandhurst side, both batsmen pushed onto make unbeaten centuries in an unbroken stand of 234 in just 47 overs to surpass Sandhurst's 312 in the 67th Over eventually finishing 4 for 334.
Craig Burn 2/76, and Brock Gibson 1/28 from 11 overs were the pick of a disappointing bowling effort. So from 3/37 it was a disappointing finish to the season to conceed victory so meekly. With Sandhurst's opening batsmen providing the match's highlights Trav Crouch's century and two sharp slips catches earning him Man of The Match.
One of the most telling contributions on day 2 of the match was provided by Gavin james in the post match, with his actions and movements leaving a lasting impression with all players, officials and supporters present left to go home and think about Gavin's contribution as what was said and done in that room will and should always stay between those present. Word around the traps Saturday night was that Gavin James contribution had been that significant and with little else to write home about it may even have snuck him into the clubs Best & Fairest votes at games end
One positive to be taken out of the sides performance was that the side appeared to have improved on some rather poor batting performances in the first handful of games with 300 being surpassed for the 2nd straight game.
3rd XI @ Atkins Street North Bendigo
With last rounds disappointing loss having removed any possibility of finals action for the 3rds, the side had only pride to play for. Whilst losing Brock Fletcher back to the 1st XI, the side did have Brad Fawcett included in the side being unavailable for the 2nd afternoon of the match. Strathfieldsaye won the toss and bowled on a green looking wicket, that was sure to flatten out once the shine was off the new ball.
Sandhurst had an early setback when Tristan Bayliss was adjudged LBW with the score on 15 in the 8th over. From there Trewy and Simon Turnbull took control and were rarely troubled with "Tipper" particularly brutal on all Strathfieldsaye bowlers scoring at a brisk rate. the pair moved the score to 1/86 at the half way point of the innings.
The pair continued on towards a 100 run stand before Trewy who had become bogged down eventually got himself out with the toal 107 in the 33rd over. This unfortunately sparked a collapse for the Dragons with Brad Fawcett falling to the 3rd XI curse for no score, and Tipper's innings was ended when he was bowled for 69 from just 80 balls. Keith Cloke reassigned to the middle order fell soon after and Sandhurst had lost 4 for 7 in 6 overs.
Leigh Draper and Terry Scullie did their best to steady the ship in the midst of some tight bowling with Drapers (18) scored under duress and Terry Scullie's 22 pushing Sandhurst to 8/167 from their 50 overs.
Week 2 saw similar conditions as Sandhurst knew they would have to be on top of their game from the out set and were left inspired if not a little taken a-back by the simple instructions from self appointed vice captain Leigh Draper who declared the side should "firstly just go out and try to win the game. "
Drape's words had fallen on deaf ears, as James Carboon got Strathfieldsaye off to a brisk start with some aggressive and elevated shots off the Dragons new ball attack. It was left to Terry Scullie with the assistance of Leigh Draper himself who picked up the dangerous Carboon caught behind with the score on 43. Dave Hunter then got rewarded for a solid spell of bowling, with Terry Scullie defying age and gravity to take one of the sharpest slips catches seen all season. When Trewy took advantage of Courtney Cornells (0 for 18 off 9 overs) accurate spell at the other end picked up an LBW soon after Sandhurst had The Jets 3 for 68 in the 21st over.
A match winning partnership from opener Glenn Bourke and Andrew Stove pushed Strathfieldsaye to the brink of victory before Keith Cloke who has been the sides standout bowler all season again got wickets picking up 2 for 13 in 5 overs, but it wasn't enough as Strathfieldsaye obtained victory in the 47th over to finish 6 for 180 and victors by 13 runs.
Man of the match was awarded to Simon Turnbull for his classy chanceless 69 from 80 balls.
With no finals action for Sandhurst CC this season, that concludes the Giraffe Reports for Season 2007/08, I hope you all my royal readers have been entertained and informed throughout the season. Please continue to log on to sandhurstcc.org.au througout the off season for news and event updates and please make every effort to attend the end of season presentation night at the Lake View Hotel Thursday 27th March from 6pm onwards where all batting, bowling, Best and fairest, Club Champion and some not so prestigious award winners will be announced.
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